Falling in all Over Again
by Satan-wears-prada
Summary: Pete and Addison have been divorced for three years so when she calls him in the middle of the night out of the blue, he knows that something has to be wrong.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, this story has just been finished. It's only a short one but the idea is different and we thought it would be interesting to write it. We hope that you enjoy so please, let us know what you think :)

Summary: Pete and Addison have been divorced for three years so when she calls him in the middle of the night out of the blue, he knows that something has to be wrong.

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><p>Pete groaned as the sound of his cell phone pierced the peaceful silence of the night. He rolled over and groggily reached for his phone. He didn't check the caller ID before he hit the answer button. He knew that it would probably be the hospital or one of his patients, calling in for an emergency.<p>

"_Pete?"_ A familiar voice from the past floated down the line.

"Yes..." He sat up tiredly in bed. "Who is this?"

"_It's Addison."_ Her voice began to crack and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Oh." Pete frowned slightly. He hadn't heard from her in three years. Why was she suddenly calling him in the middle of the night?

"_I…I…"_ A loud sob escaped her mouth and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"What's wrong, Addison?" His frown deepened. "What happened? Where are you?"

"_It's Nell,"_ she chocked out between her sobs. _"She…she…she's…"_

"Shh, calm down, Addison," Pete tried to soothe her. "What about Nell?"

"_She died, Pete,"_ Addison whispered.

He could feel his heart sink at her words and it took him a few moments to respond. "Oh god," he whispered.

"_She…and then...it was…will you come?"_ she asked in a tiny voice._ "Please?"_

"I...of course." Pete nodded even though she couldn't see him. "Of course I'll come."

"_Thank you, Pete. Thank you,"_ Addison whispered and closed her eyes. _"I'll meet you at the airport. Call me when you get a flight." _They both hung up the phone and Pete shifted to the edge of the bed before groggily getting up to pack his stuff.

Their Nell…no, Addison's Nell had died. She was gone. She would never again tell him a story about her past or give them advice, or tell them that they were acting stupid and should go back to the other. She was gone was gone and he never even had a chance to say goodbye to her. He would never be able to talk to her again. He'd never be able to see her smile. She had been like a second mother to him ever since he met her. She had helped him and Addison out many times. She had done so much for both of them and he could never thank her for that. He couldn't even imagine what Addison must be going through right now. He knew that he needed to get the next flight to Connecticut.

Pete ran a hand over his tired, yet awake, face before he began to throw clothes into a bag and booked himself onto a flight to Connecticut.

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><p>Five hours later Pete left the terminal at the airport in Connecticut to walk into the huge arrival hall, carrying his bag in his hand.<p>

"Pete!" Addison waved at him from the crowd before she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she fought back the tears.

He dropped his bag to the floor and slid his arms around her waist instantly. "Addi, hey," he spoke softly.

"Thank you," she whispered and buried her face into his shoulder. "I just…I had to…I needed…"

"Shh, it's alright," Pete soothed. "I'm here now, you're not alone." Addison let her tears fall once more as she stood safely in his arms. "Shh..." He held her and lightly ran his hands up and down her back, comforting her.

"She's gone," she murmured into his shoulder. "She's actually gone."

"I'm so sorry, Addi," Pete whispered. "I can't believe I'm never going to see her again." Addison sniffled and buried her face further into his shoulder. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here," he soothingly whispered against her hair. "It's okay."

"We should…we should…" She slowly pulled back to wipe her eyes. "Bizzy is preparing food for you."

"Of course." Pete nodded and picked up his bag. "Let's go." Addison reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her car keys which she held out for him. He took hold of them before he placed his free hand on the small of her back and they made their way out to the car park.

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><p>After a twenty minute drive, Pete turned into the large driveway of the Montgomery household and killed the engine. He got out of the car and waited for Addison before he locked it and walked around and towards the front door. Addison rang the doorbell and they waited for the door to be opened before they stepped inside. Pete slipped out of his shoes and jacket before following Addison further inside.<p>

"Bizzy?" Addison called out tiredly. "Bizzy?"

"In the kitchen," she called back. Addison glanced at Pete before they made their way into the kitchen and Addison slid into a chair at the table.

"Bizzy," Pete gave a smile as he walked inside. "Long time no see."

"Pete." Bizzy held her arms out to him and returned the smile.

He gave her a hug before he pulled back to look at the food she had prepared. "You didn't have to go through the trouble just because of me."

"I know you, Pete. I know you're hungry, don't try and deny it."

"You know me too well." Pete gave a small smile before he sat down at the table as well.

"I do." Bizzy smiled and nodded as she placed a plate in front of him.

"Thank you, it smells delicious." He picked up a fork before he began to eat. Bizzy slid into a chair at the table and looked across the table at Addison and Pete and was suddenly transported back five years.

"Remember that one Christmas Nell fell ill?" A small smile was playing on her lips at the memory. "I was suddenly in charge of Christmas dinner but I ruined it, so Pete jumped in and saved the day?"

A soft smile appeared on Addison's lips. "I remember." She nodded. "We all got so drunk that night."

"Including Nell." Pete smiled as well.

"We had fun, though." Addison felt herself be transported back to that Christmas.

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><p><em>"I say we open another bottle." Pete grinned from where he was sat on the couch, lifting up his empty scotch glass. "What do you say, Archer?"<em>

"_I agree completely with you there, Peter." Archer grinned and made his way over to the bar where he picked up another bottle. "Who needs a top up?"_

_"You're all going to be too hung over to open your presents tomorrow morning," Bizzy warned them.__ Archer just waved a hand at his mother as he topped up Pete's glass._

_"Where has Addison gone?" Pete asked as he glanced around the room._

"_She's gone upstairs to check on Nell." Bizzy looked down at her tipsy son-in-law._

_"Nell should come down here and join us!" Archer decided before he clicked his glass with Pete's and took another sip of his scotch._

"_She's _sick_," Bizzy reminded them._

_"Oh she can still have a glass of scotch with us." Pete smiled._

"_It can't make me feel any worse than already I do, can it?" Nell asked as she shuffled into the living room with Addison behind her._

_"That's what I'm talking about." Archer grinned at her. "Sit down, have a glass with us."__ Nell accepted the glass that Archer held out to her before she took a long sip._

_"And here's my beautiful wife," Pete spoke quietly and smiled up at Addison as she walked closer. "Scotch?"_

_Addison screwed her nose up and pushed his glass away as she sat down next to him. "I'll have a Martini."_

_"Why am I not surprised?" He leaned forwar__d and took hold of the bottle and a glass to mix Addison her drink._

"_Because it's her choice of poison." Nell smiled at the couple. "I'll have a glass as well seeing as you're making, Pete."_

_"Sure." He smiled as well and mixed them each a drink before handing it to them. "Bizzy?" He looked at his mother-in-law._

"_Join us, Bizzy." Nell looked at the other woman. "It's Christmas. At Christmas we're not employee and employer. We're friends. Sit. Drink. Relax."_

_"I got this." The Captain winked at them before he walked to the bottles of alcohol to mix his wife her favourite drink.__ Addison smiled and snuggled up to Pete's side as everyone found somewhere to sit. Pete wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before he continued to sip on his drink._

"_I hope you've left me some Christmas dinner," Nell commented before she took another large sip of her drink. "I need to make sure that my Christmas dinner hasn't been outdone."_

_"I put Pete in charge of it after I burnt the first roast," Bizzy informed her. "It was delicious."_

"_A man who cooks." Nell looked at Pete and raised her glass to him. "At least we know that Addison will never starve to death."_

_Addison rolled her eyes at that comment. "My cooking isn't _that_ bad."_

_"It actually is." Pete smiled. "But I don't mind. You've got other qualities."__ Addison pouted and sipped on her drink._

_"I could warm you up a plate if you're hungry," Bizzy offered._

"_Not right now." Nell held up a hand. "Tomorrow."_

_"Don't be too hard on me though." Pete smiled._

"_I'll try." Nell grinned at him before she finished off her drink._

_"Another round?" Archer held up his empty glass.__ Everyone agreed and held out their glasses to be topped up. Half an hour later and everyone was drunk._

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><p>Once Pete had finished his meal and they'd all had a cup of coffee, Addison and Pete climbed the stairs and made their way along the hallway.<p>

"Which guest room shall I take?" he asked as they walked along.

"Can you…can you come lie with me for a while?" Addison asked and looked up at him with vulnerable eyes. She looked ten years younger in that moment. "I don't want to be alone right now."

"Erm, yeah, of course." Pete nodded slightly and gave a small smile.

"Thank you," she whispered and turned into her childhood bedroom. Everything was still the same since the last time Pete had been in there. He looked around him as he walked further inside and closed the door behind him. It almost felt like he never left. Addison pulled her sleeves down her arms until she could grasp hold of the ends tightly in her hands.

"Thank you for coming today." She turned and looked at him as she hugged herself slightly, not letting go of her sleeves once.

"You know you don't have to thank me." Pete watched her. "I want to be here. I want to be able to say goodbye to her."

"It means a lot to me that you're here. I know it's selfish to think of me right now but…" Addison gave a small shrug and looked down at her feet.

"It's not." He shook his head. "You're not selfish. I'm here for you."

"I know I must have made our last year of marriage hell for you and I am so sorry for that. I realise now that life is too short to be angry over nothing. I was a bitch. I'm sorry, Pete."

"It wasn't just your fault." Pete shook his head slightly. "Neither of us acted like ourselves. But we don't have to talk about this right now."

She nodded slowly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry I haven't called much."

"Yeah, I am too."

Addison opened her mouth to tell him that she missed him but decided against it and turned to her chest of drawers to get a pair of pyjamas out. Pete watched her before he slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on his side.

"I still have a pair of your pyjamas here." She turned her head to look at him.

"You do?" He looked surprised.

"Yes." Addison nodded and pulled them out the drawer. "We always left a couple of pairs here for when we stayed, remember? I never cleared the clothes out from here," she admitted.

"Oh." Pete nodded and got up again to take them. "Thank you."

"I'm just going to change." Addison motioned to the bathroom before she turned and left. He gave a small nod and watched as she left before he began to strip down as well.

Five minutes later, Addison pulled back the duvet and crawled into bed. Pete moved to his side of the bed and sat down before he moved his legs underneath the covers. She lay on her side so she could face him and rested a hand under her cheek.

"If it wasn't for Nell missing, I'd feel like nothing's changed around here," he commented.

A small smile graced her lips at his words. "Everything's the same, isn't it? It's like you never left."

"It almost feels like it." Pete nodded. "Doesn't seem like it's been three years."

"Are you happy, Pete?" Addison asked quietly and studied his face.

Pete looked down at her for what felt like an eternity before he softly shrugged. "I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Are you with someone?"

"No." He shook his head. "Are you?"

"Nothing serious," she replied quietly. "He just…scratches an itch." She shrugged a one shoulder shrug. Pete gave a small nod and turned away before looking down at his lap. "It's not the same," she offered softly. "It'll never be the same."

"I know." He nodded again. Addison reached a hand out and gently placed it on his arm. Pete looked at her and gave a small smile.

"I'm sorry," she whispered before she shifted herself closer to him.

"What for?" He watched her.

"Everything." She placed her head on his shoulder and slid her hand down his arm until it reached his hand and she linked their fingers together.

"Me too." Pete gave her hand a soft squeeze and rested his head against hers, breathing in her scent. They lay together in a comfortable silence until sleep finally overtook both of them and they drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: We are glad you're enjoying this :) It was just too cute to refuse to write, even if it's not very long.

Also, to help solve the whole uploading all of our stories issue, Nina, username saci on here the link to her profile is on my profile, is uploading some of our newer stories as well. Please, go check them out :)

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><p>The sun shone through the window the next morning and settled over Pete and Addison's figures sprawled over her bed. Slowly, Addison stretched her body out as she began to stir. She could feel the warmth of another body next to her and a familiar scent filled her nose and she instinctively shifted a little closer. Addison buried her face into his chest and gave a contented sigh.<p>

"Hmm," Pete murmured quietly as he slowly began to wake up and one of his hands moved to the small of her back.

"Morning," she whispered and kept her eyes closed.

"Morning, beau-," he trailed off and slowly opened his eyes. Addison opened her eyes as well and looked up at him. "Old habits." He gave a small, tired smile. She nodded and rolled over onto her back before she yawned. Pete pulled his arms back and ran his hands over his face before he stretched out slightly. Addison turned her head and watched him quietly.

"I should probably go to my room and shower."

"You can use my shower if you want to," she offered.

Pete gave a small nod and turned his head to look at her. "Are you hungry? You didn't eat last night."

"I'm fine." She attempted a small smile.

"You should eat. We could go out for breakfast," he suggested.

"There's a new café not far from here," she spoke quietly. "Nell was always telling me to go there."

"Well, if Nell thought it was good then it must be."

Addison nodded. "I should go shower."

"Yeah, me too." Pete slowly sat up.

"Do you want to go first?" she asked..

"I can shower somewhere else if you want to shower as well."

"It's fine, you go ahead. I'll wait."

"Okay." Pete nodded before he got up from the bed and made his way into the adjoining bathroom. Addison watched him go before she gave a sigh and hugged her knees close to her chest.

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><p>Just over an hour later the two of them sat down across from each other in the little café close to the Montgomery's house. They pondered the menu for a few minutes before they ordered their food and looked across at each other.<p>

"I can see why Nell would like it here." Pete smiled softly.

"Me too. It has a homely feel to it."

"It does," he agreed. "And the food looks good as well." Addison nodded slowly and looked at him. "I still remember the first time I met her." Pete looked back at her. "It was the first time you brought me home with you and she cooked this huge meal for everyone."

"I remember you were more nervous to meet Nell than you were to meet my father." She smiled softly.

"Because you had told me so much about her." He smiled as well. "You'd talk more about Nell than you'd talk about Bizzy or the Captain."

"Nell was always there for me." Addison gave a one shoulder shrug.

"I know she was." Pete nodded as he watched her.

"She was excited to meet you." Addison looked up at Pete. "She loved you."

"You have no idea how relieved I was that she liked me."

"You know, she always talked about you after we divorced."

"She did? What did she say?"

Addison shrugged and looked down at her hands.

Pete watched her in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. "She never stopped calling me. On my birthdays, Christmas."

"She didn't?" Addison looked up at him surprised.

"She was the only one I heard from." He gave a small nod. "Her phone calls and the occasional cards from Bizzy." Addison nodded slowly and went to reach across for his hands but then stopped.

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><p><em>Pete stood back slightly and nervously pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants as Addison led him further into the huge house.<em>_ She smiled at him reassuringly and took hold of his hand as she led him into the kitchen._ _Nell was stood at the stove, stirring a sauce as she added the final touches to a meal she had prepared for the whole family._

"_Hey, Nell!" Addison grinned._

_"Addi!" A smile spread across the woman's face as she turned around. "Finally!"_

"_I've missed you." Addison wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck and hugged her tightly._

_"I've missed you too. It's way too quiet around here." Nell hugged her back._

"_Nell,__" Addison pulled back and stood next to Pete, "I want you to meet my boyfriend, Pete. Pete, this is Nell," she introduced the two._

_"It's so nice to finally meet you." Pete gave a nervous smile as she shook Nell's hand._

"_Ah, I finally get to meet the famous Pete." Nell grinned and winked at Addison which made her blush._ _Pete watched the two of them and smiled softly as he looked at Addison. Addison smiled back and linked their fingers together._

_"I made your favourite." Nell smiled at Addison__. "I hope you'll like it, Pete."_

"_Oh, Nell, you didn't have to." Addison smiled at the older woman. "I thought I could smell it, though."_

_"I know how much you love it and I have to make sure you eat properly while you're here."_

"_Don't worry, Pete is feeding me." Addison hoped onto a stood at the kitchen island._

_"He is?" Nell raised an eyebrow and looked at him._

"_Yep." Addison grinned. "Why do you think I keep him around?" She laughed softly._

_"Thanks." Pete rolled his eyes at his girlfriend.__ She took hold of his hand and pulled him closer so she could kiss him tenderly._ _He smiled softly against her lips and linked their fingers together._

"_Looks like there's more than one reason you're keeping him around." Nell raised an eyebrow and Addison blushed._

_Pete smiled at the older woman's words and softly nudged Addison's side. "She just doesn't want to admit it."_

"_Oh, don't worry, Pete. Addison has told me _everything_." Nell grinned a wicked grin._

_"She has?" He looked between the two of them.__ Addison's blush deepened and she bit down on her bottom lip as she smiled. Pete smiled at the look on her face and wrapped his arms around her before he placed a kiss on her cheek._

"_So," Nell started as she dished up dinner. "How long are the two of you staying?"_

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><p>"Nell loved you from the moment I told her about you." Addison smiled softly.<p>

"I still don't really understand why."

"Because I loved you and you made me happy."

"She didn't even know me back then."

"No, but I told her enough about you." Addison smiled and looked at him.

"Yeah." Pete smiled back. "I remember her mentioning that."

A blush appeared on Addison's cheeks. "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." He shook his head softly. "I thought it was cute."

"You did? It never bothered you?"

"No, it didn't. She seemed to like me after all."

Addison laughed softly and moved a hand closer to him on the table. "I don't think she liked you because of _that_. It may have helped," she teased. "No, I'm just joking."

Pete smiled and rolled his eyes at her. "You never change."

"Neither do you." Addison smiled and looked into his eyes. He looked back into hers and their gazes locked for a moment before the waiter arrived with their food and interrupted them. They both leaned back like they had been burned before they thanked the waiter and began to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I'm not going to be around this weekend to update so I thought I'd give you an update now. I hope when I get back home on Monday that my inbox is full of reviews *hint hint* :P Enjoy.

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><p>The next day, Addison and Bizzy were sat in the living room together as Bizzy wanted Addison to help with the preparations of Nell's funeral. Addison pursed her lips together, pen poised over a piece of paper while Bizzy watched her silently.<p>

"I haven't seen Pete since this morning," Bizzy began as she put down her address book. "Where did he go?"

"Huh?" Addison looked up at her mother as though she had just come out of a daze.

"I asked you where Pete was." Bizzy looked at her daughter.

"Oh." Addison gave a nod. "He went out to get something."

Bizzy nodded slowly and watched her. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." She shook her head and looked down at her blank piece of paper and frowned.

"You seemed to be lost in thoughts."

"I'm just thinking about Nell." She shrugged.

Bizzy nodded as she looked at her. "It's helping that he is here, isn't it?"

"Who?" Addison asked and didn't look up at her mother. She knew exactly who Bizzy meant.

"Pete, of course."

"Oh right." She nodded. "It's good he's here. He meant a lot to Nell."

"He didn't just come for Nell, though."

"Of course he did," she insisted and continued to avoid her mother's gaze. "He cared a lot for her. They kept in touch, you know."

"They did?" Bizzy gave a small nod. "Well, Nell always loved Pete."

"She really did," Addison agreed. "I think she would have married him if she could."

"Yes." Bizzy gave a smile. "She probably would have."

"He had her wrapped around his little finger. She'd do anything for him. And vice versa." Addison titled her head in thought.

Bizzy nodded as she watched her. "You know she's not the only reason he's here, though, right?"

"Why else would he be here? To see your new garden?"

"If it was only for Nell he would have flown in for the funeral and left right after."

"I guess he wants to help with the funeral." Addison shrugged.

"Right." Bizzy nodded and gave a small sigh as she picked her address book up again. Addison glanced at her mother before she went back to her own work. "He came for you," Bizzy stated matter-of-factly as she opened the book. "He flew across the country in the middle of the night for you. And I know that you know he did."

"No, he didn't," Addison protested but she knew that it was futile.

"I'm just saying." Bizzy gave a small shrug.

"We've been divorced for three years, Bizzy." Addison turned her head and looked at her mother. "We haven't seen each other since we signed the divorce papers.

"And still he came." Bizzy looked back at her daughter.

"For Nell," she tried.

"He was the first person you called, Addison."

"Because he should know. They were close."

"Then why would he take the next flight over here?"'

Addison shrugged and looked down at her lap. Bizzy sighed as she looked at her. She knew it was useless to try and get Addison to admit something she couldn't even admit to herself.

"We're divorced, Bizzy," Addison spoke quietly. "Divorced."

"So? That wasn't reason enough for you to move on with your life."

"I have moved on," Addison protested and frowned.

"Right." Bizzy nodded.

"I have, so has Pete."

"If that's what you think."

Addison sighed and turned to face her mother fully. "And what do you think?"

"It doesn't matter what I think as long as you don't realise it yourself."

"Tell me, Bizzy, what do you think?"

"I think that getting a divorce was the biggest mistake you've made in your life."

Addison slowly let the words sink in. "Why?" she asked quietly.

"Because you've never stopped loving each other."

Addison's body tensed and she avoided her mother's gaze. She was saved from replying at the sound of the front door and Pete calling out.

"We're in here," Addison called out to him. Bizzy looked at her daughter before she turned her attention back to the planning of Nell's funeral.

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><p>Bizzy pushed open the door to Pete's room later that day and stepped inside. He was on his bed with a photo album that he had found led on his lap as he looked through old pictures.<p>

"Hey," Bizzy spoke softly.

"Hey." Pete looked up at her surprised. "Did you want help making dinner?"

"Only if you're not busy." She moved further into the room. "I wanted to talk."

"Oh, okay." He nodded and closed the photo album before he sat up straighter.

"How are you, Pete? I mean, how are _you?"_

"I'm...alright." Pete looked at her.

"And life? How's your life?"

"I can't complain, I guess."

Bizzy nodded. "I hear you're in LA now. You've always wanted to go to LA. You and Addison talked about moving there once."

"We did." Pete nodded as well. "After the divorce I just had to get out of the city."

"What's it like in LA?"

"It's really nice." He gave a smile. "I live right on the beach."

"It must be a wonderful place to bring up a family," Bizzy commented and looked at Pete.

"A lot of people say it's a good place to raise kids." Pete nodded slightly.

"What do you think, Pete? Would you like to raise children there?"

"I would, if I found the right woman. But it's out of the question right now."

"Why is that?" Bizzy asked carefully. "Don't you think you'll meet the right woman?"

"I'm not sure I will." He looked at Bizzy and gave a small smile.

"You know, the right person for you is normally right under your nose." She placed a hand on his and smiled at him.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Addison has never settled down," Bizzy commented. "Nothing lasts longer than two weeks between Addison and a guy."

"Really?" Pete looked at Bizzy.

"Really." She nodded. "They mean nothing to her."

"I was sure she would have found someone by now," he admitted.

"She's stopped looking," Bizzy told him. "She stopped looking a long time ago. She's closed herself off to men."

"But why? She always wanted a family."

"I know that she would still love to be a mother but she doesn't want to have them alone."

"I'm sure she wouldn't have a problem finding a guy."

Bizzy smiled knowingly at him. "You're right. She doesn't have a problem finding them. She has a problem _wanting to be with_ them."

"Maybe she just has to meet the right one." Pete glanced down at the bed before back up at Bizzy. Bizzy smiled and gave his hand a squeeze before she stood up and left the room.

* * *

><p><em>Pete smiled as he put Addison's left hand back down on the bed before he leaned over and placed a tender kiss on her slightly parted lips.<em>_ She gave a quiet murmur as she gradually came too from her slumber._

_"Good morning, beautiful," he__ whispered and kissed the corner of her mouth before he moved down her jaw._

"_Hmm." Addison turned over onto her back and kept her eyes closed._ _Pete smiled against her skin and placed a hand on her stomach as he pulled back to look at her. "Morning," she whispered and slowly opened her eyes._

_"Morning." He smiled softly._

"_How did you sleep?" She tenderly touched his cheek with her fingertips._

_"Really good, you?"_

"_Peaceful." Addison smiled._

_"Hmm, that's good." Pete smiled back before he turned his head to place a kiss in the palm of her hand.__ She rolled over onto her side so that their stomachs touched._ _He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before he moved his hand to her left one and linked their fingers together._

"_What?" She smiled at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"_

_"Like what?" Pete smiled back._

"_Like that." She pointed to his face._

_Pete smiled at her and shrugged. "I just thought you might feel a little different this morning."_

_Addison frowned at him. "Different? Why?" He shrugged and began to play with her hand softly. "Pete, what do you mean different?" she asked._ _Pete looked into her eyes before he lifted their intertwined hands up slightly for her to see. Addison frowned even more and let her gaze travel towards her hand before she let out a gasp._

_He smiled at her reaction. "I thought you'd never notice."_

"_You're…" she trailed off, finding that her voice had left her._

_"Look at me." Pete softly turned her face towards him so their gazes met again.__ Addison closed her mouth and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Addi," he began as he looked back into hers. "I think part of me knew from the moment I first met you that you were different than anyone else I'd met before. You were special and now you're my whole world and I love you more than anything."_

_Addison swallowed as she tried to fight back her tears until he had finished talking._

_"You're the one I want to have a family with one day. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone but you. I want to grow old with you. Will you marry me, Addi?"_

_She opened her mouth to respond but found that she had no voice. Instead she took hold of his face and kissed him passionately. Pete closed his eyes as her lips met his and he moved his arms around her as he kissed her back._

"_Yes," Addison whispered once she had found her voice after the kiss. "Yes." A grin spread across his lips at her words and he closed the gap between them to kiss her once more._

* * *

><p>Addison padded down the stairs in one of Pete's old t-shirts that she liked to sleep in and a pair of shorts. She shuffled into the kitchen and was surprised to see Pete sat at the table. His hands were wrapped around a steaming cup of tea and he glanced up at her as she walked inside.<p>

"Hey," she spoke softly.

"Hey," he replied quietly. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." She shrugged and slid into the chair next to him. "What about you?"

"Same." Pete gave a tired smile.

"The house feels so weird without Nell here."

"It does," he agreed. "It's not the same." Addison gave a sigh and reached for his cup of tea before she took a slow sip. "It's a weird feeling being back here and not...being with you," Pete admitted as he glanced around the kitchen.

She nodded slowly. "The feeling is mutual. You're the only guy I've ever been with here."

"I didn't think I'd ever come here again."

"Really?" Addison turned her head to look at him and wrapped her hands around his cup.

"I didn't think I'd have a reason to." Pete gave a small shrug.

She nodded and looked down at the tea. "Oh god, sorry. I didn't think." She pushed the cup back towards him. "Old habits I guess."

"It's fine." He smiled softly. "You can have it."

"We can share." Addison looked at him.

"We can." Pete nodded. "We used to do that."

"We used to share everything. I don't think there was a line between what was mine and what was yours."

"I guess that's what happens when you've been with someone for so long."

"We had a good time, didn't we?" she asked and looked at him questioningly.

Pete looked into her eyes before he nodded slightly. "Yeah." Addison sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. He placed his hand on hers on the table and gave it a soft squeeze.

"I don't want to go to the funeral," she whispered. "It makes it too final."

"I know." Pete nodded. "But it will give you closure." Addison sighed and closed her eyes. "You won't be alone." He softly ran his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered. Pete nodded and looked down at their hands. Addison closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his body next to hers.

"Are you going to fall asleep on my shoulder?" He smiled softly.

"Maybe," she whispered. Pete smiled and kept hold of her hand as they sat in silence.

"I'm tired," she murmured after a while, her head still on his shoulder.

"Go to sleep," he spoke softly.

"Here?"

"Upstairs." He smiled.

"I don't want to leave you down here alone."

"I'll try and get some sleep as well."

"If you want company…" Addison trailed off and opened her eyes to look at him.

"For when I'm asleep?" Pete looked back at her.

"Before you fall asleep. If you need company to fall asleep."

He looked at her and smiled softly before he slowly got up, still holding her hand. "That sounds good." Addison smiled back and linked their fingers together as she let him lead her up the stairs. They made their way into her room before they closed the door behind them and got into bed.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So, I thought I'd be kind and give you another update today. It's been pointed out to me that maybe all these updates on the same day may be too much for you all. I've decided to split my stories so half gets updated on a Saturday and half on a Sunday or maybe there will be a day in between the updates.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Archer arrived at the Montgomery household and was instantly greeted by his baby sister who hugged him tightly and fought back her tears.<p>

"Oh, Ads." Archer hugged her close and ran his hands over her back. "Sorry I couldn't be here sooner."

"It's okay," she whispered. "You're here now."

"How have you been holding up?" He looked down at her. Addison shrugged as she slowly pulled back from the hug. Archer gave her a small smile and reached for her hand before he squeezed it softly.

"Your room is all set up," she informed him.

"Thanks." He smiled softly. "Where is everyone?"

"The Captain has gone out somewhere. Bizzy is in the den on the phone to someone and Pete is in the kitchen."

"I didn't know Pete was here already."

"He came as soon as I called," she admitted and began to climb the stairs with Archer behind her.

"He did." Archer nodded slowly as he followed her up to the first floor.

"It's been a great help having him here. He can cook, we can't."

"It was nice of him to come right away, you know, since you haven't seen each other in years."

"I know." Addison nodded as they walked into Archer's bedroom.

"Thanks for setting everything up." Archer put his bag down on the bed. She gave a shrug and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "It's weird without her here, isn't it?" He watched his sister.

"It feels…empty." She looked around them. "It's quiet."

"It is." Archer nodded. "Too quiet. She would have already dragged me into the kitchen by now to make me a sandwich and interrogate me about everything I've done since I'd last seen her."

A small smile appeared on Addison's lips as she looked at her brother. "She made it home."

"She did," he agreed and gave a small sigh.

"The funeral is tomorrow." She looked down at the floor.

"I know." Archer nodded. "Who's going to do the eulogy?"

"Erm, well, I wanted to do it but Pete wants to say something as well."

"Everyone who wants to say something should be able to. Nell deserves it."

"You're right." She nodded. "We should let everyone say something about her."

"Even though she would hate to be the centre of attention." Archer smiled softly.

"Tough. She doesn't get a choice in this."

"No, she doesn't."

Addison nodded before she turned towards the door. Archer gave a small sigh and watched his little sister.

"I'm sure Pete would love to see you," she called quietly over her shoulder. He nodded and looked around his room for a moment before he made his way down the stairs again.

* * *

><p>"Hey." Archer smiled as he walked into the kitchen and looked at his former brother-in-law.<p>

"Hey." Pete looked over his shoulder as he stood at the stove.

"Long time no see. How are you holding up?" Archer flicked the switch on the coffee maker before he leaned against the counter.

"I'm alright, what about you?" He looked at him.

"It came as a shock. I always believed that Nell would always be there no matter what," he admitted and folded his arms. "She still had more years ahead of her."

"She did." Pete nodded. "I was shocked when Addison called."

"I expect you didn't think you'd hear from her again, did you?" Archer asked and looked at Pete.

"I didn't, to be honest."

Archer nodded slowly and pushed himself off the counter as the coffee machine finished making his coffee. "Want one?" He picked up his cup and glanced at Pete.

"Coffee sounds good." Pete gave a nod as he finished the omelettes. "Black, no sugar."

Archer gave a nod and flicked the switch again. "I think it's affected Addi the most," he commented before he blew on his coffee.

"It has," Pete agreed. "I've been trying to be there for her."

"I don't doubt that you haven't."

"Is she upstairs? She should come down and have breakfast," he commented as he began to set the table.

"She went out to the garden." Archer turned his head to watch Pete. "She'll be in for breakfast."

Pete nodded and put an omelette on each plate. "Want one as well?"

Archer nodded as well and handed Pete his coffee once the machine stopped. "So, how have you been, Pete? How's life? I hear you're in LA now."

"I have." He wrapped his hands round the mug before taking a sip. "I've been good. I work at a private practice now."

"A private practice?" Archer raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. Your hours must be short compared to Addison's."

"They are, plus I don't work on weekends." Pete smiled.

Archer nodded. "Addison needs to cut her hours down. Maybe you can convince her to move to a private practice. I'm sure the hospital will still keep her on part time."

"I could try but I'm not sure she'll listen to me."

"You have more chance of getting her to listen to you than I have," Archer pointed out.

"Maybe when I was still married to her."

"No harm in trying." Archer shrugged.

Pete nodded. "I'll give it a try.

"Good. I worry about her."

"I've been getting her to eat since I'm here, so that's something."

"But once you go it'll all go back to how it was before. She's not the same anymore, Pete."

"What do you mean?" Pete looked at Archer.

"Just look at her." Archer looked back at his former brother-in-law before Addison walked into the kitchen and they both turned to her.

* * *

><p><em>Pete pushed his hands into the pockets of his black suit pants as he entered the huge office building and made his way straight to the elevators in the lobby.<em>_ He pressed the button for the floor he wanted and waited for the ding that seemed to take forever._ _When he finally got off he instantly caught sight of his lawyer who was already stood waiting in front of the office he was heading for._

"_Mr. Wilder." Pete's lawyer, Mr. Greene, held his hand out for Pete to shake._

_Pete gave a nod as he shook his hand. "Are they already in?"_

"_Yes. Mrs. Wilder and her lawyer have been here for the past ten minutes."_

_"Okay." He nodded once more. "Let's go then."_

_They made their way into the spacious office where Addison and her lawyer already sat. They both stopped talking and her lawyer, Mr. Freind, looked up at them while Addison kept her gaze down. Pete and Mr. Greene sat down across from them before the lawyers took out their papers. The lawyers began to talk about the conditions of the divorce while Addison and Pete stayed silent._ _Pete kept his eyes on his hands that lay on the table while Addison looked down at her lap._

"_So, Mrs. Wilder gets the house," Freind started._

"_And Mr. Wilder gets the car and his bike," Greene carried on._

_"They each keep their insurances and the income they have made during the marriage is split in half," Freind continued._

"_All possessions within the house that has either been given to them or they bought themselves will be divided equally," Greene added._

_"Good." Freind nodded as he looked through his notes. "That should be about it."_

"_There are no other accounts connected to either client?" Greene asked._

_"No, they've all been divided."_

"_I have my trust fund," Addison added quietly and looked between the lawyers._

_"Which you will keep." Her lawyer looked down at his papers. "Mr. Wilder could have insisted on dividing it but he turned the offer down."_

_Addison nodded and glanced at Pete across the table. She hadn't seen him in a month since he had officially moved out of their-no, now her-house._

_"I don't want any of that money." Pete gave a small nod as he looked between the lawyers._

"_So, now that all that is sorted," Mr. Freind shuffled some papers, "the only thing left to do is sign the divorce papers. Then you are both free of each other." _

_The lawyers handed them each a pen and shifted the papers towards them and Pete glanced up at Addison briefly.__ She looked back before she turned her gaze back to the papers in front of them and looked at their names._

_"Just one signature right here." Mr. Freind pointed at her name at the bottom of the papers.__ Addison nodded and looked back at Pete before she picked her pen up to sign. Pete watched closely as she put her name on the line before his lawyer pushed the papers towards him._

"_Signed." Addison pushed her papers back to her lawyer and looked across at Pete._ _He picked up his own pen and he felt like he was in a trance as he put his own name on the bottom of the document._

"_The two of you are now divorced." Greene collected up Pete's papers._ _Pete nodded numbly and it took him a moment before he could bring himself to lift his head and look at Addison. Addison gave a nod and rose from her chair after her lawyer had stood._

_"Mr. Wilder." Mr. Greene shook Pete's hand after they stood up as well.__ The four of them left the office and the lawyers walked off together down the hallway._ _Pete and Addison looked after them before they both hesitated and turned towards each other._

"_So," she started._

_"I guess this is it."_

"_I guess it is." She nodded. "We're now divorced."_

_"We are," he agreed. "You're free of me as your lawyer put it."_

"_Yeah…"_

_"Have a good life, Addison."_

"_Thanks, you too, Pete." She hugged herself slightly and looked at him._

_"I'll try," Pete spoke quietly as he looked back at her._

"_Well, I guess this is goodbye then."_

_"It is." He nodded. "Goodbye, Addison."_

"_Bye, Pete," she spoke quietly. She looked at him for a few moments before she turned and walked towards the elevator._ _Pete opened his mouth to say something, to tell her what was on his mind, to make her turn back to him, but instead he just watched as she walked away._

* * *

><p>That night, after they had dinner and everyone had gone up to their rooms, Pete sat downstairs in the living room as he watched a random movie he had found on TV. Addison hovered in the doorway as she tried to decide whether to go in or go to bed. He could feel the presence of someone else in the room and gave a small smile when he glanced up and saw her.<p>

"Sorry," she whispered as she clutched something to her chest. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You're not disturbing me." Pete shook his head and sat up straighter. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong."

"Did you want something?" he asked softly as he watched her.

She hesitated. "No." Pete smiled softly and turned the volume of the TV down as he looked at her. He knew that look on her face. "I just saw that you were in here on my way up to bed," she explained quietly and her voice quivered slightly.

The smile disappeared from Pete's face and he turned to face her fully. "Addi," he spoke quietly.

"I'm…I'm fine, Pete," she whispered. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Go back to your film."

"You can't fool me." He looked at her. "You never could."

"Go back to your film. I'm going to bed." Addison turned to leave and as she did, Pete could see the tears on her cheeks glister in the dim light.

"Addison." Pete got up from the couch.

"Really, Pete, I'm fine," she protested weakly.

"No, you're not." He walked after her until he could gently take hold of the back of her arm and turn her back towards him. "Come here."

"I'm fine," she whispered as more tears began to slide down her cheeks. "Really, I am."

"You're not fine." Pete shook his head. "And it's okay, I'm here." Addison sniffled and looked down as she let him lead her to the couch. He sat back down and waited for her to sit as well before he spoke. "Is it because of tomorrow?"

"No…yes…no."

"It won't be an easy day, but you won't be alone," Pete assured her.

"I found this," she whispered and held out the framed photo of a child's drawing. "It was the first picture I drew in school. It's of me and Nell. I came home so excited to give it to her."

"I've seen this before," he spoke quietly as he looked at the drawing. "It was stood somewhere in Nell's room, wasn't it?" Addison nodded slowly and gripped hold of the frame tighter. Pete covered one of her hands with his and gave it a soft squeeze. "I'm here for you. You don't have to hold back."

"It's not fair," she whispered. "It's just not fair."

"It's not." He shook his head. "It's still hard to believe."

"You loose everyone you care about," she whispered and curled into his side.

"At one point or another." Pete wrapped his arm around her.

"It's always those who mean the most."

Pete gave a small nod and looked ahead of him. They sat in silence curled up together on the couch and didn't even hear Archer walk in. He glanced at the couch to find the two of them snuggled close together as Pete comforted Addison.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He turned to leave.

"Oh." Pete lifted his head and looked at Archer. "It's fine, we didn't even hear you."

"Arch," Addison whispered and looked up at him.

"I didn't mean to disturb the two of you." Archer looked back them.

She shook her head. "It's okay."

"Do you need anything?" He looked at his baby sister.

"No. I'm okay."

"Of course you are." Archer gave a knowing smile. "It almost feels like old times."

"Old times," she repeated quietly and snuggled closer to Pete.

Archer couldn't help but smile softly at the picture. "I'll leave you two alone again." They both nodded and watched Archer leave the room before they were left alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Addison sat on the front pew in the church between Archer and Pete with a blank expression on her face. Both Bizzy and the Captain were sat next to Archer, watching the priest as he began the service. Addison turned to look at her right as she felt someone take hold of her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Pete gave her a reassuring look and softly brushed his thumb over the back of her hand as he turned back to the priest.

Once the priest had finished talking, he called different people up to say a few things about Nell. They listened to the different speeches until Addison's name was called but when she didn't move Pete turned his head to look at her. She sat frozen in place, unable to move.

"Addi," he spoke softly. "Do you want me to go first?" She gave a small nod and stared at him wide eyed. "It's alright," he whispered and squeezed her hand. She watched as he stood and made his way up onto the small platform where Pete cleared his throat and looked at the people around him before he stepped closer to the microphone.

"As I was growing up," he began to speak in a calming tone. "I never really had a family. I never knew what it was like to have a mother figure in my life. To be cooked for and cared about and...and all of that changed the moment Nell become part of my life. Nell was one of the warmest, most loving people I ever got to meet in my life. She made me feel welcomed and at home the moment I first stepped foot into the household and that never changed during all the time I got to spend there." Pete glanced over to Addison and their eyes locked as he continued to talk.

"I don't think I ever got to tell her how much I loved and appreciated her and how grateful I am for everything she's done for me." Pete glanced back at the picture of Nell that was stood on the floor. "So, I'd like to do that now, Nell. Thank you for everything. You will be so missed," he whispered.

The priest thanked Pete and waited for him to take his seat again before he called Addison to say a few words. She hesitated and glanced at Pete before she slowly got up from her seat. It was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn't want to say goodbye to Nell. She didn't want it to feel so final. Addison took a deep breath and looked out at everyone in the church.

"I've known Nell my whole life," she started quietly. "She's always been there for me no matter what. She was like a second mother to me. I knew that I could always turn to her and I believed that she'd never leave." Addison stopped as she felt the tears sting her eyes. "I've sat here today and listened to everyone and Nell was all of that plus so much more. She was special. There's not another Nell out there. She was one of a kind. She didn't deserve to go so soon," she whispered. "She had so much time ahead of her. I'll miss you, Nell. I love you always."

Archer and Pete watched as she climbed down the stairs to the podium and walked back towards them, both of them with tears in their eyes. Addison sat down between them without looking at either of them or saying a word. The priest thanked all of them for their nice words before he finished the service and music began to quietly play. Slowly people began to disperse from the church but Addison made no move to leave.

"She needs time." Archer looked at Bizzy and the Captain as they all got up. "Let's wait outside." Archer looked at Pete before he turned and followed his parents out of the church. Pete stood back and watched Addison in silence, not wanting to push her.

"Addison?" he tried, quietly.

"She's really gone," she replied and continued to stare ahead of her.

"She is." Pete gave a small nod and moved to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Are they all outside?" Slowly Addison turned her head to look at him.

"Yeah, they're waiting for us, but you can take your time."

"Tell them to go."

"Do you want to be alone?"

"Tell them we'll catch them up."

"Okay." Pete looked at her before he turned and walked out of the church. She turned back to the front of the church as she waited for him to come back. Pete convinced Archer, Bizzy and the Captain to go home before he made his way back inside to Addison.

"There's a side exit," she commented as she stood from her pew. She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way towards the side exit to leave.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he followed her out of the church.

"Away from here." She wrapped her coat around her and kept her head down as she walked.

Pete nodded and placed a hand on the small of her back as he walked next to her. Neither of them spoke as Addison lead them along a path through a park and then onto the street. He looked around them as they walked along but didn't ask anymore questions. They moved through the people on the street until Addison stopped and looked up. They were stood in front of an old café that Pete recognized instantly. Addison turned her head to look at him before she stepped forward and made her way into the café.

A waitress smiled and gave them a friendly greeting before she led them to a free table right next to the window. Addison slid out of her coat and draped it over the back of her chair before she gazed out of the window. Pete watched her in silence for a few moments before he spoke again.

"Why did you choose this café?" he asked softly.

"I didn't," she admitted. "I just wanted to get away from there and this is where we ended up."

He nodded and glanced around them. "Well, this one holds a lot of memories."

"It does," she agreed quietly and turned to look at him. Pete looked back at her and hesitated before he moved his hand closer to hers on the table. "I haven't been here since the divorce," Addison spoke softly and linked their fingers together.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if I had never come here?"

"You mean, if we had never met and gotten married?"

"Yeah." Pete nodded. "Have you ever thought about that?"

"No." She shook her head. "I've never wondered what would have happened if we'd never met. Do you?"

"The thought has crossed my mind." He gave a small shrug.

"Oh." Addison felt her heart drop at his words.

"I'm not saying I wish we'd never met," Pete corrected himself. "I don't. If he hadn't met here, we would have probably met some other way."

"You really don't wish we'd never met?" she asked quietly. "Do you…do you regret marrying me?" She kept her gaze down on the table as she waited for his answer. She didn't want to know but at the same time she did.

"Sometimes it was hard after the divorce." Pete glanced down as well. "Sometimes I might have wondered if it would have been for the better if we had never happened. But then I think of you and us and...if something like faith exists, then meeting you was."

"Do you regret it?"

"No." He looked at her and shook his head. "The ten years with you were the best of my life." Addison nodded slowly and kept her gaze on the table, relieved. Pete nodded as well and watched her quietly. "Have you had any serious relationships since the divorce?"

"No," she replied quietly. "Have you?"

"No." He shook his head slightly.

"Have you…seen anyone else?"

"I've tried." Pete gave a small shrug.

Addison nodded slowly and turned her head to look out the window again. "How many times?" she asked quietly.

"Once, maybe twice. Usually it's just sex. My friends keep trying to get me to date but..." he trailed off and Addison didn't reply. She knew what it was like. "You were my family." Pete looked at her. "I don't know how to be with somebody else."

"Do you…want to?" she asked quietly and glanced at him.

"Be with somebody else?"

She nodded slowly and bit down on her bottom lip as she waited for his answer.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I should, shouldn't I?"

"I guess," Addison whispered.

"Do you?" Pete watched her, unsure if he even wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"No."

He nodded slowly as he let her words sink in, watching her in silence.

* * *

><p><em>A twenty-two year old Addison sat at a table in a café and was engrossed in her book that she was reading.<em> _The café was fuller than usual and people were standing in line to get their coffees. Addison was completely oblivious to all that happened around her, she was lost in her book._

_"Excuse me?" Someone came to a stop next to her, trying to get her attention. "Is this seat taken?"_

"_Hmm?" Addison frowned and looked up in confusion at a guy._

_"The chair across from you," he looked at her, "i__s it free?"_

"_Oh! Yes, it's free. You can sit there if you want to." She nodded._

_"Thanks." He gave a smile and slid into the chair. "This place is quite crowded."_

"_It's not normally like this," she commented._

_"Are you here often?"_

"_Often. I take it this is your first time?" Addison looked at him and noticed his sparkling blue eyes._

_"It is." He__ nodded. "I'm only here for the day. My connecting flight to New York leaves tonight."_

"_You're from New York?"_

_"I am.__ I go to school there."_

_Addison nodded. "So do I."_

_"Really?" He sipped on his coffee as he looked at her. "How come you're here in Connecticut now?"_

"_My parents live here and it's the holidays." She shrugged._

_He nodded again and took in her appearance. "I'm Pete, by the way."_

"_I'm Addison." She smiled and put her book down on the table._

_"Nice to meet you, Addison." Pete smiled back at her._

"_You too."_

_"So, I take it you know your way around here?"_

"_I do." She nodded. "I grew up here so I basically know the place."_

_"Any suggestions how I could spend the day? My plane doesn't go until late."_

"_I don't think you'd have enough time to get it all done in one day." Addison smiled at Pete._

_"Well, I could give it a try." He smiled back._

"_Well," she began to list all the different things that Pete could do in Connecticut._

_"What are your plans for today?" Pete asked once she was finished._

"_I was just going to head over to the book store. Why?" She raised an eyebrow slightly._

_"I thought if you're not busy you could be my guide for today." He gave a small shrug and smiled._

"_Hmm, do I help a poor lost boy or leave him to fend for himself?" She pretended to think about it with a smile on her face. "What would I get in return?"_

_"In return?" Pete made a shocked face. "Hey, you get to spend the day with me."_

"_Ah, but how do I know that spending a day with you is going to be as good as you make it out to be?"_

_"Oh you'll just have to wait and see." He smirked._

"_Sorry, I don't roll that way." Addison leaned back in her seat and looked at him._

_"Roll what way?" Pete watched her. "I just asked you to show me around town."_

"_But why should I give my day up to show a stranger around?"_

_"It could be fun." He shrugged. "But if you have other plans, that's fine."_

"_No. I don't." Addison looked at him and didn't think he was as fun as she first thought._

_"Well, what do you want in return?"_

_She shrugged and picked up her coffee to finish._

_"I can only promise you, you won't regret it." Pete winked at her._

"_So, where do you want to go first?"_

* * *

><p>When Addison and Pete returned home from the café it was already late and they found the house in complete silence. Nether of them called out to say they were back, instead they quietly made their way up the stairs and shut themselves in Addison's bedroom. They turned to look at each other once the door was closed and when they did their eyes locked. Being in the café where they had first met had stirred up a lot of emotions in each of them and they found that their bodies had awoken to each other. Even though neither of them had voiced it, they knew that they wanted to be close to each other.<p>

Slowly, Addison reached a hand out and placed it on Pete's chest, her eyes still locked with his. That simple touch awoke so many feelings inside of him he couldn't help but place his own hands on her sides, lightly pulling her closer. She let her other hand join her first one and she moved them up to his chest so she could unbutton his white shirt. His own hands slid to the back of her dress where he found the long zipper that he slowly began to pull down. Their eyes stayed locked as they slowly rid each of their clothing until all that was between them was their underwear.

Pete's expression was soft and he gently reached up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, lingering there. Addison let her eyes close and she turned her face towards his hand. His thumb softly caressed her cheek and he moved his face closer to hers so she could feel his breath on her skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck before she gently pressed her lips against his. The kiss started out slow and soft but quickly grew more passionate as they both felt just how much they needed each other.

They stumbled over to the bed, not letting go of each other once, and lay down together. Pete linked his fingers together with hers and deepened the kiss as he hovered above her. They slowly rid each other of the last pieces of clothing between them before they joined their bodies together as one.

Pete let his hands re-explore her body all over again, taking in every detail that felt so new but so familiar at the same time. Addison's eyes closed as her body experienced a feeling it hadn't in three years. Their bodies moved together in the perfect way they always had and they realised just how much they had missed this.

They both experienced the meaningful release they both needed so badly at the same time. When Pete came down from his high their fingers were still linked together and he couldn't help but lean down to kiss her once more. Addison buried her face into his neck and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She had missed the comfort of him. He moved his own arms around her body and held her as close as he could. Neither of them wanted to let go. They had missed each other too much.

* * *

><p>AN: It's all final with Nell gone :( So sad. However, as the saying goes 'it can only get better' and that is what Addison and Pete are finding, don't you think?


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Bizzy made her way along the hallway of the second floor and to her daughter's bedroom. She hadn't seen her since the funeral the day before and she felt the urge to check on her. Quietly, she pushed open the door to Addison's bedroom and peeked her head in. When she did, she found two naked bodies curled up to each other under the covers of Addison's bed, still sleeping soundly.

Bizzy should have been surprised to have found her daughter naked in bed with her ex-husband but she wasn't. Instead she felt relief wash over her and closed the door before she titled her head up to give Nell a silent thank you. After all, they were both there because of Nell.

Nell had always tried to get Addison to get back in touch with Pete and Bizzy couldn't help but shake her head softly at the irony of it all. Nell had been right the whole time. She had always said that they were made for each other and no matter what they'd find each other again. It was clear for everyone to see that Addison hadn't been the same since the divorce. She had lost everything that made her Addison. She stopped smiling, the sparkle from her eyes disappeared and she let herself become a shell of herself. She tried to fool everyone, including herself, but it didn't work. She tried to distract herself with work and meaningless relationships, but nothing she did ever really helped. Everyone could see that Addison missed Pete terribly, but she refused to admit it to herself. Bizzy knew that the two of them never once stopped loving each other. They couldn't.

"Hey." Archer nodded his head in his mother's direction as he made his way down the hallway. "Something wrong?"

"No." Bizzy gave her son a soft smile. "Everything is fine."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why are you looking like that?"

"Like what? I'm just relieved, that's all."

"Why are you relieved?"

"Because I think your sister might just be on her way to find happiness again."

Archer frowned at his mother in confusion.

"I was just going to check on her," Bizzy explained as she saw his confused expression. "But she wasn't alone."

"I'm sorry, who are we talking about?"

"Who could we possibly be talking about, Archer?" She gave a sigh as she looked at him. "Addison and Pete, of course."

"You mean…" Archer trailed off and glanced at Addison's bedroom door.

"Yes." Bizzy nodded. "But you leave them alone about it," she warned.

Archer held his hands up in defence. "It's about time those two sorted it out. Hopefully he'll take her home."

"Hopefully," she agreed. "She needs him."

"They need each other," he commented. "I just want our Addison back and he's the only one who can do that."

"He really is." Bizzy gave a small smile. "They bring the best out in each other."

"Just don't let him leave without her this time." Archer looked at his mother before he made his way down to the kitchen.

* * *

><p><em>"Shh..." Pete smirked as he looked down at his wife. "They're going to hear us," he whispered.<em>

"_Everyone's out." Addison giggled and looked up at him._

_"Hmm, I hope so for your sake." He smiled before he leaned down to kiss her neck again._

"_Why my sake?" She giggled and squirmed underneath him._

_"Because you are the loud one." Pete softly nibbled on her sensitive skin.__ Addison groaned and let her eyes close._ _He smiled at her reaction and teasingly started to move his hips again._

"_Pete," she whimpered. "Please, don't tease."_

_"Hmm, what do you want me to do?" Pete asked as he kissed down her neck and chest until he reached her breasts once more._

"_I…" she let out a groan, "want you."_

_"You do, don't you?" He ran his hands down her side to her t__highs so he could wrap them around his waist. She murmured a response and buried her face into his neck just as the bedroom door opened. They both froze in an instant and Pete's eyes widened as he turned his head to look at the door._

"_Oh my god, Nell!" Addison quickly reached for the covers to cover themselves._

_"Oh, I'm sorry, kids." Nell closed her eyes before she turned away. "I should have knocked."_

"_We thought the house was empty," Addison mumbled quietly._

_"I just came home from shopping," she explained. "But I'll leave you to it. You two just...carry on."_

_Addison buried her burning face into Pete's neck to hide her embarrassment._ _Without saying anything else Nell made her way back out of the room again and closed the door behind her._

"_Oh my god," Addison murmured into his neck. "That completely ruined the mood."_

_"That wasn't nearly as funny as Archer walking in on us."_

"_Oh yeah, he wanted to punch you out."_

_"You said we were alone." Pete lifted his head to look down at her._

"_We _were_ alone."_

_"Nell is going to tease us about this forever, isn't she?"_

"_Probably." Addison sighed and sat up on the bed with the sheet still clutched to her chest._

_"I was looking forward to another round." Pete pouted slightly as he sat up as well__._

"_Nell is in the house and she'll know that we're having sex." Addison turned her head to look at him._

_"I'm just saying." He gave a small sigh._

"_Later." She leaned over and softly kissed him._

_"Looking forward to it," Pete murmured as he kissed her back._

"_We'll have all night," she promised as she slid out of bed._

* * *

><p>Pete stretched out a little as he slowly began to wake up before he curled up again and one of his hands came to rest on another person's naked back. A soft murmur came from the body curled into his and tangled their legs together. He lightly buried his face into her hair and breathed in her scent, not wanting to move and ruin the moment.<p>

"Pete?" she murmured.

"Yeah?" he asked quietly.

"You're here," Addison whispered and lifted her head to look at him.

"I am." Pete nodded his head slightly. "Where else would I be?"

"Not here with me."

He looked at her for a few moments before he gave a small shrug. "I am, though." Addison nodded and laid her head back on his chest. Pete shifted slightly under the covers before he slid his arms back around her. "How did you sleep?"

"Soundly. You?" It had been the best night's sleep she had in a while.

"Good. Really good."

Addison nodded and wanted to ask him what last night meant to him but she couldn't find the words.

"Are you feeling a little better?" he asked and softly ran his fingers through her long, red hair.

"A lot," she whispered. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything. I'm glad you're feeling better," Pete spoke softly.

"You're here for me. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens."

"Really?" She lifted her head to look at him.

"Of course." He nodded. "You can always come to me." Addison looked into his eyes before she slowly leaned closer to him. Pete looked back into hers and brought a hand up to gently cup her cheek. She turned her face towards his hand but kept her gaze locked on his. He leaned his face closer to hers until their foreheads were touching and he watched as she closed her eyes. Their lips gently met and Addison ran a hand over his chest. Pete captured her lips with his tenderly and tightened his arm around her waist.

"I…" she trailed off as they pulled back from the kiss.

"You what?" he asked, quietly. Addison shook her head and felt the tears sting the back of her eyes. "What's wrong?" Pete looked at her. "Do you want me to go?"

"No! No." She instantly shook her head.

"If you want to forget about last night..." He watched her. "We can."

"Do you?" she asked quietly.

Pete looked at her before he shook his head. "No," he admitted.

"Neither do I."

He nodded and watched her in silence.

"How long are you staying in Connecticut?"

"I don't know, I thought I'd stay a couple more days."

Addison nodded and snuggled tightly into his side.

"You could visit me in LA sometime," Pete suggested as he moved both his arms back around her.

"Would you want me to?" she asked quietly.

"I would." He nodded. "I'd like that."

"Okay. I'll…visit some time."

Pete nodded as well and looked down at her in silence.

"You can visit New York as well."

"I haven't been to New York since I moved."

"I know." She nodded slowly.

"Remember when we talked about moving to LA?"

"I do. We even flew over to look at houses."

"You'd like it there."

"You think so?" she asked softly and looked up at him.

"I do." Pete nodded. "It's sunny and relaxing. Not as busy as New York."

"Are you happier in LA than you were in New York?"

"It was the right thing to do to move after the divorce." He looked down at her. "I couldn't stay in the city. Everything reminded me of you." Addison nodded slowly and looked at her hands on his chest. "But I wouldn't say I'm happier," he admitted quietly.

"Will you come for a walk with me?" she asked and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Sure." Pete nodded and sat up slightly.

"We'll get breakfast out." She looked at him before she slid out of bed to shower. Pete watched her quietly before he got up to get ready as well.

* * *

><p>Addison sat at the kitchen table with a cup of hot chocolate between her hands that night as she watched her brother. He finished making himself a sandwich before he turned around to face her and took a big bite.<p>

"It's alright, Arch, I don't want a sandwich. Thanks for asking."

"What?" he mumbled as he ate. "You're drinking a hot chocolate."

She rolled her eyes. "Not the point. I offered you one."

"Want it?" Archer held the sandwich out to her.

"You've taken a huge bite out of it," she pointed out. "No."

"I can make you a new one." He leaned against the counter.

"No, I'm fine." She took a long sip on her hot chocolate.

"So," Archer watched her as he ate. "When did you and Pete get home last night?"

"I think it was about eleven." She shrugged and glanced down at the marshmallows in her drink. "Everyone was already asleep."

Archer nodded slowly. "I knew he was the only one you wanted after the funeral yesterday."

"What do you mean?" She glanced up at her brother and sat up a little straighter.

"Pete. I knew he would be the only one who could make you feel better."

"I didn't want to face everyone and I knew he'd come with me." She shrugged.

"So would I, but you chose to spend the day with him."

"I miss him," she whispered and glanced down.

"I know you do." Archer nodded.

"It's just…it's nice to have him here. It's like old times."

"What about when he goes back to LA?"

"We'll keep in touch, I guess." She gave a small shrug and sipped on her drink again.

"Why don't you go with him?"

"To LA?" Addison looked up at Archer.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Why don't you go back to LA with him?"

"I have…I have a job in New York."

"There are jobs for you in LA."

"I already have a job."

"Maybe you could change to this private practice he's working at. It would do you some good."

"Why are you trying to get rid of me, Archer?"

"I'm not." He looked at her.

"Why are you telling me to move to LA then?"

"Because that's where he is." Archer watched his baby sister. "And I want you to be happy, Ads."

"We were making each other miserable, Arch," she spoke quietly.

"You were going through a rough time, that's all."

"We weren't happy. We argued all the time."

"You were focusing on your career. You stopped putting each other first. Every relationship has its ups and down but that doesn't mean you belong together any less."

"We weren't happy, Arch," she whispered and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Then how come you miss him?" Archer looked back at her.

"Because I still love him," she finally admitted.

Archer looked at his sister. He never thought he'd hear those words from her. "But you don't want to be with him?" he asked quietly.

"Of course I want to be with him, but I want him to be happy and I wasn't doing that."

"If he wasn't happy with you then why would he be here right now? Why would he fly all this way over here after one call from you, Ads?"

"He came for Nell, Arch, not me," she protested quietly.

"You know just as well as me that she is not the only reason."

"I slept with him last night," she whispered. "I needed to be close to him."

Archer sighed softly. "Why don't you tell him how you feel?"

"I can't." She shook her head.

"Don't let him go again, Ads." He looked at her. "Don't make the same mistake twice." Addison looked back at her brother before she gave a nod.

* * *

><p>AN: We thought we'd throw in a bit of a fun flashback. It can't all be bad! Don't you just love Archer as well? Not many more chapters to go until the end! :(


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I know, I know. I _suck_. I totally forgot, I'll be honest. Being back in college has pickled my brain. I _will_ update this Saturday and Sunday as usual, I promise.

* * *

><p>Nell sat wrapped up in a blanket on her bed and pressed her pen to the pad of paper in front of her. There were so many thoughts in her head and so many things she wanted to say and she tried to collect them all and find a way to start. She wanted Pete to know everything but at the same time, she wanted him to know the most important. She knew that this was her last chance to make him realize what she had been trying to for so long.<p>

_Dear Pete,_

_By now I am long gone but I don't want you to be upset over my death._ _I have lived a long, fulfilled and happy life and I don't you to shed any tears for me. My life may be over but yours is just beginning. You have many years before you._ _You still have the chance to change everything, Pete. Mistakes you've made in your past can't be undone, but that's okay, because you've learnt from them and you can make it better in the future._

_There is so much that I want to tell you but I'm going to focus on the most important thing here._ _And that one thing is Addison. I wish I'd have gotten a chance to say this to you face to face but since this is my last chance, I will tell you now._

_She loves you. She has never stopped loving you._

_The things that happened between you can't be undone but that doesn't change the fact that you are the love of her life, Pete.__ She needs you and you need her. There's no doubt about that._ _Addison hasn't been the same since she divorced you. She hasn't been my Addison. She's not happy, Pete. She's miserable. She's lost that sparkle in her eyes. She doesn't smile, let alone laugh. She's become a shell of herself._ _She misses you. She doesn't admit it, let alone talk about you, but she misses you terribly._

_She hasn't let another guy in since you. She sleeps with them and then leaves them. They mean nothing to her. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even enjoy the sex._ _They are all just a distraction. She uses them just like she uses her job. She will never get over you. She hasn't managed to move on in the past three years, and she never will. How can you move on from the love of her life? You were her world for so long and the day you two signed those papers, her world crumbled around her and we lost Addison._

_I'm not trying to blame you here__, Pete, I'm really not. I know that the divorce wasn't your fault. You are both to blame. I know that you still love her too and that you miss her._ _Neither of you can ever be happy without the other. You are meant to be together._

_I know that you would have been the first person Addison called after my death. I also know that you got straight on a plane to her._ _I don't even want to think about how hard it will be for her to see you go again. It'll be hard for you to walk away again, I know. So please just don't, Pete. Don't make the same mistake again. Don't let her go. Take her home with you. Don't make either of you miserable again._ _I want the two of you to be happy and I know that you won't ever be truly happy again unless you can find a way to be together again. You two were an amazing couple. You really love each other. It's the kind of love people spend a lifetime looking for and still don't find._

_If you can't find a way to be in a relationship, then be friends, but don't shut each other out._ _You need her and she needs you._

_Life is short, Pete. Don't take anything or anyone for granted._ _Make the most of it and, please, don't waste another minute. I trust you to make the right choice. Now, I don't want to keep you longer than necessary. Remember that I love you, Pete. You're like a son to me._

_Love, Nell._

* * *

><p>Pete swallowed hard as he looked on at the neatly written piece of paper in his hand. It was Nell's last words to him all written down clearly. These were the most important things she wanted him to know. She had been trying to tell him for the past three years but he just wouldn't listen. He wouldn't believe her when she told him how miserable Addison was, how she felt exactly the same way he did. He refused to see that they were both much worse off being apart than they were when they were together. Addison hadn't been happy with him, so why would she miss him?<p>

He had been so wrong. He had been in denial. He didn't believe that there was any chance of them ever being together again. It had never seemed possible. He thought that he had lost his chance with her forever. He didn't even think that he would ever see her again, and now here he was.

What was he supposed to do?

One part of him wanted to go out there and be with her but there was still a part that had doubts. She had hurt him. She had hurt him a lot in the last year of their marriage. And while he didn't doubt his feelings for her, or the fact that she was the only one he'd ever truly want to be with, he still didn't know if it was good idea to just forget about everything she had done. He didn't want to pick up where they left off because they left off in a pretty bad place, a place he never wanted to go to again. He wanted to start new, be the happy couple they were for the most part of their relationship, but was it really that easy?

Pete didn't think so. He didn't think it would ever be easy with Addison. He knew that sounded harsh but they had so much history and not all of it was good. But just because it wouldn't be easy, doesn't mean that it wouldn't be worth it.

Pete sighed and ran a hand over his face. He had no idea what to do.

* * *

><p><em>Addison felt Pete's comment sting like a thousand whips. She raised her hand in retaliation and slapped him hard across the face so that a pink hand mark appeared on his left cheek.<em>

_Pete's head whipped to the side and he raised a hand to his cheek as he looked back at her. "What is wrong with you?"_

"_What is wrong with me?" she shrieked. "More like what is wrong with you?"_

_"What did I do, Addison__? All I asked you was for you to come home early for once. You knew I had plans for tonight! Was that revenge because I missed dinner _ once_ last week?"_

"_I had to work!" she yelled. "Do you not understand that? Or is your head too far up your own ass to notice anyone else?"_

_"You're not the only one here who has to work, Addison! All I wanted was for you to leave at a reasonable hour for one night! Do you even know what day it is?"_

"_I was rushed into surgery! What am I meant to tell my patient? Sorry, I can't operate on you now my husband wants me home?"_

_"Yes, that's exactly what you tell them!"_

"_I'm meant to leave a labouring scared mother?" Addison scoffed and shook her head at him. "You really are something, Peter." She only every called him by his full name when she was really pissed off by him._

_"You are when it's your own, stupid anniversary!" Pete yelled loudly before he turned around to leave the room.__ Addison froze at his words. She'd lost track of the days. She thought she still had a few more days. Apparently not._

_"Ten years," he hissed as he walked away. "But what does it matter, maybe it will be the last one for you to forget anyway."_

"_What is that supposed to mean?" Addison spun around with anger in her eyes._

_"I don't know, Addison, you tell me!" Pete turned to face her once more. "How long do you expect me to keep going like this?"_

"_I had a surgery! I couldn't leave my patient!"_

_"The least you could have done was to give me a freaking call, but I can't even remember the la__st time you did that!"_

"_Oh, like you're innocent in all this, Pete." She scoffed again._

_"I didn't forget our anniversary."_

_Addison tensed her jaw and looked at him. "No, you didn't."_

_"Maybe next time I should."_

"_Maybe there won't be a next time." She narrowed her eyes at him._

_"Yeah," he spoke quietly before he turned around again. "Maybe there won't be."__ Addison looked at him before she grabbed her handbag and pulled open the front door._

_"Where are you going?" Pete turned his head to look after her._

"_Out."_

_"It's our anniversary." He watched her._

"_It's already ruined, what does it matter?"_

_"It matters."_

"_So what?" Addison turned to face him. "You want to sit at that table and pretend like nothing's happened?"_

_"We could talk at least about it."_

"_So we can end up in another argument?"_

_"You don't even want to give us a try."_

"_Then what the hell is this?" She held up her left hand to show him her wedding rings._

_"Then where are you going?" His jaw tensed__._

"_Away from here!" she yelled._ _Pete stood and watched her, the pain visible in his eyes, but she didn't even look at him. Addison walked out of the house and slammed the door loudly behind her._ _It was the first anniversary they didn't spend together._

* * *

><p>The flashback is basically the night that they ended really. Nell has always wanted them to get back together so it was a given she'd tell him too.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: *ducks from the flying objects I'm sure you're throwing at me for not updating for a week* Life took over unfortuantly :/ I _will_ update next weekend, I promise!

There's only one more chapter left after this one! :(

* * *

><p>A couple of days later Pete was sat behind the wheel of one of the Montgomery's cars as he drove himself to the airport to fly back home to LA. Addison sat in the passenger seat quietly and looked out of the window as he drove along.<p>

"I'll call you when I get there," Pete offered after a while.

"Okay." She nodded. "I fly back to New York tomorrow."

"If you ever need a break from the city, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Pete." She gave him a small smile. Pete glanced at her and gave a smile back before he turned to the street again.

"Thank you for coming," she spoke quietly as Pete pulled into the airport car park.

"I'm glad you called."

"I thought you'd like to say goodbye to Nell."

"I did." Pete nodded as he stopped the car. They got out of the car and made their way into the large building. "We'll stay in touch this time, right?" He looked at her as they turned to face each other.

"We'll stay in touch," Addison agreed and looked at him. She wanted nothing more than to fling her arms around him and beg him not to go.

"Maybe I can fly over to New York at some point."

"I'd like that." She gave a small nod.

"Alright." Pete smiled softly.

"Call me whenever." She looked up into his eyes.

"I will." He nodded and hesitated before he took hold of one of her hands. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," she whispered and swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed.

"Okay," Pete spoke softly before he leaned down to kiss her cheek. Addison wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him. He slid his arms around her waist and hugged her back tightly.

"Bye, Pete," she whispered.

"Bye, Addi," he replied softly. "It was good seeing you."

"You too. Take care."

"I will." Pete nodded as they pulled back and he picked up his bag from the floor.

"Bye." She gave him a small wave as she tried to stay brave.

"Bye," he whispered as he looked at her before he slowly turned to walk to his gate. Addison let out a sigh and turned to leave the airport sadly. Neither of them wanted to go without the other one, but they did it anyway.

* * *

><p>Addison let herself into the Montgomery house after she had driven back from the airport and kept her head down. She made her way into the living room and let herself sink down on the couch, unaware of her mother's presence. Addison curled into a ball in the corner of the couch and let the tears roll down her cheeks.<p>

Bizzy gave a small sigh as she watched her daughter. "Why did you let him go?" she asked quietly. Addison jumped at the sound of her mother's voice and quickly wiped at her eyes. "Why didn't you tell him?" Bizzy walked to the couch before she sat down as well.

"He doesn't want me anymore," she whispered.

"How do you know that?"

"I just do. He doesn't want to be with me anymore." Addison sniffled and sat up on the couch.

"Of course he does." Bizzy looked at her daughter. "He loves you."

Addison shook her head. "Love isn't enough."

"Sometimes it's not," she agreed. "But what you two have? You can't give that up. Not again."

"I don't know, mum," she whispered sadly as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"But I do." Bizzy held an arm out for her daughter. "Come here." Addison buried her face into her mother's chest as she began to sob. Bizzy wrapped her arms around her and softly swayed her from side to side.

"I thought we would always be together," Addison whispered between sobs.

"I know you did." She nodded. "Everyone did."

"It hurts. It hurts so much."

"But it won't get better, Addi," Bizzy told her honestly. "It hasn't gotten better during the last three years and it won't unless you talk to him."

"What do I say? That I still love him? That it was the biggest mistake of my life divorcing him?"

"Yes, exactly that." She nodded.

Addison sniffed and looked up at her mother. "What if he doesn't want me?"

"Then at least you'll know how the other one feels." Bizzy looked back at her. "But...he's still crazy about you, Addison. Maybe it'll take some time to forgive but he will get there. I just know it."

"I'm not the only guilty one," she spoke quietly. "He was just as bad as me. He hurt me."

"I know he did." She nodded. "Neither of you are innocent. You'll both have to forgive each other."

"Nell wrote me a letter," Addison whispered. "She wrote Pete one too."

"She did? I didn't know that. What does it say?"

"I haven't read mine yet. I haven't had the courage."

"Read it when you're ready to."

"Will you sit with me when I read it?" Addison asked and looked at her mother.

"Of course." Bizzy nodded. Addison reached into her handbag and pulled out the white envelope with her name scrawled across the front. Bizzy watched as she carefully opened the envelope before she pulled out the white piece of paper with Nell's handwriting all over it.

_Dear Addison,_

_I hate the fact that I have had to leave you alone when there is so much more I wanted to show you._ _There are so many things left to tell you and I never got a chance to. But I don't want you to be upset. I know you and I know how hard you'll take this but I promise you it will pass. I know that it seems like it'll never be better but remember I will always be there in your heart. You're not completely alone._ _If you would only open your eyes you could see that you are surrounded by people who love you and you would realize that you will never be alone._

_You are an amazing person, Addison. Both I and your parents are so proud of what you've become._ _But there is one thing that I don't want to happen, and that is for you to spend the rest of your life without someone you love by your side. For the past three years you have become a shell of yourself and that's because someone has been missing from your life._ _You and I both know too well who that someone is. I've been trying to talk some sense into you, but for some reason you wouldn't listen. You love him so much, Addison, why aren't you fighting for him? You two are so happy together._ _I know that relationships aren't always easy and sometimes it feels like it's better to give up than to just keep going, but not with you two. You two should have never given up._

_I can tell that you both know getting divorced was a mistake but neither of you will admit that. Why, Addison? You both had a hard year, you hurt each other but you can get past that, I know you can. All you have to do is sit down and talk with each other. Work through your problems and find a way to be happy again. _

_Go to him, Addison. Don't let him go a second time. Get on a plane and fly to LA._ _I know you're scared but I promise you, everything will be okay. Trust your heart._

_I left Bizzy instructions that if Pete did not take you home with him like I told him to that she would book you a ticket to LA. __You're both scared I know but one of you needs to make this move._ _Don't run from your happiness any longer, Addi. You deserve all the happiness in the world and there is only one person who can give it to you._

_Now, stop wasting time reading this letter and get on that plane. I trust Bizzy hasn't left it long until your fight. Go, Addison. Go and get your life back._

_I love you, Addison. You're someone special._

_Love, Nell._

Addison sniffed and looked at Bizzy who was sat next to her, a hand on her arm.

"You know, when Nell told you to do something, she was always right." Bizzy gave a smile.

"She…she told you to book a flight to LA?" she asked quietly.

"She did." Bizzy nodded.

"Did she tell Pete to take me to LA with him when he left?"

"I don't know, I never read his letter."

"She didn't tell you?"

"She said that's what she wanted him to do."

Addison nodded slowly and let her gaze travel back down to the letter clutched tightly in her hands.

"There's a flight going tomorrow morning," Bizzy spoke softly. Addison turned her head to look at her mother and let everything slowly sink in.


	9. Chapter 9

A few days later, Pete finished the last of his morning coffee and placed his cup in the dishwasher. As he stood back up his eyes landed on his phone. He hadn't called Addison like he said he would. He had sent her a text to say he was home but that he was busy and would call soon. He hadn't been lying, he really had paperwork to catch up on but he still couldn't help but feel guilty. He wasn't sure he would be able to hear her voice and not break down when he knew he couldn't have her by his side. He did want to stay in touch but now that he was back in LA he wasn't sure if it was a good idea anymore. He didn't realise that it would hurt even more leaving her the second time. Walking away from her in the airport and getting on that plane without her was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do in his life.

The sound of the doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts and he gave a sigh as he glanced at the clock. Who could possibly be at his house at 8 o'clock in the morning? He wasn't in the mood for a visitor but he trudged to the front door anyway. He turned the key in the lock before he slowly pulled it open.

"Pete," the figure on his doorstep spoke softly and looked at him.

Pete opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again unable to believe who was standing in front of him. "Addison," he finally whispered.

"Can I come in?" she asked and fiddled with the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Yes...of course." He opened the door wider for her to walk past him. She made her way into his living room before she turned to face him. "Do you want anything?" Pete motioned to the kitchen with one of his arms.

"No." Addison shook her head. "I need to say something."

"Okay." He nodded slightly and looked at her as she took a deep breath to begin.

"I made a mistake. A _huge_ mistake and I made it twice. I let you go. I got sloppy. I took you for granted when we were married. I always believed you'd be there by my side no matter what but I was wrong. I took advantage. I didn't make as much effort as I should have. I became a bitch. I hurt you." She took a deep breath to steady herself so she didn't break down and sob.

"I love you, Pete. I've never stopped loving you and it hurts like hell not to wake up to you lying next to me. I have hated the past three years. I'm not happy. I need you, Pete. I need to be with you. I was stupid, _so_ stupid. I let you go twice. I should have fought harder. I'm here now fighting and if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life fighting for you."

Pete looked at her as he tried to take in everything she'd said and he found himself at a loss of words. "You...you still want to be with me?"

"If you'll have me," she whispered and nodded as the tears began to pool in her eyes and blur her vision.

"Always, Addi," he whispered back. "Of course I'll have you."

"You will?" Addison looked at him and felt a tear escape her eye.

"Of course I will." Pete looked back at her and slowly took a step closer. "I love you, Addi. I will never love anyone the way I love you."

"I've missed you so much." She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her as close as he could do him, tears stinging his eyes. "You have no idea," he whispered.

"I'm going to fight," she whispered. "I promise I'm always going to fight for you from now on."

"I'm going to fight for you too." Pete nodded. "I'm never going to let you go again."

"I've resigned." Addison pulled back slightly to look at him. "I'm selling the house in New York."

"You want to move here?" He looked down at her.

She nodded. "We should start afresh. Start here."

Pete nodded and lifted a hand to softly cup her cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you, Pete, so much." She leaned up to kiss him. He closed his eyes and kissed her back tenderly, putting all his feelings into it. They held each other as close as possible as they kissed like there was no tomorrow.

When they pulled away they were both out of breath but they didn't let go of each other.

"I can't believe you're here," Pete whispered.

"I'm always going to be here now. _Always_."

He smiled softly and kissed her one more time. "I've missed you so much."

"And I've missed you." Addison smiled happily at him.

"I was so stupid to ever let you go."

"I was stupid as well. I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused you, Pete."

Pete nodded as he looked at her. "I'm sorry, too."

"Let's start afresh."

"Yeah." He smiled softly. "Let's do that."

"Well then." Addison grinned and tugged him towards the stairs. "We should christen this house, don't you think?"

"Oh, definitely." Pete nodded and smirked as he followed her. Addison laughed softly as they made their way upstairs to make love for the first time in their new house.

* * *

><p>Pete grinned as he walked out of the adjoining bathroom that night before he crawled onto the bed where Addison was already waiting for him. She smiled and softly kissed him as he lay next to her.<p>

"How do you like our new bed?" he whispered against her lips.

"I love it." She cupped his face. "Just what we need."

"The house needs a little more of you though."

"It does," she agreed. "It also needs decorating."

"You know I was never good at that." He smiled softly.

"I know, but I'm here now. We'll sort it all out."

"I can't believe you quit your job for me," Pete admitted as he looked at her.

"You're more important than my job," she whispered and looked into his eyes. "I'm not going to make that mistake again. Anyway," she shrugged, "I need to cut my hours down if we have a family."

"A family?" He couldn't help but smile at that.

"We waited too long before, Pete. I don't want to do that again." She shook her head.

"I don't either." Pete looked into her eyes. "I want to have a baby with you."

"I don't have a job at the moment. I have time off." She drew small circles on his chest.

"That could give us time to try."

Addison nodded as she looked at him. "I've always thought what would have happened if we'd had a baby."

"Maybe none of this would have happened." Pete looked back at her.

"Maybe." She nodded.

"But it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we're here now."

Addison leaned over and lovingly kissed him again. "We have each other," she whispered.

"We do," he murmured and kissed her back. "And we always will."

"And we'll have a family."

"I can't wait to have a family with you," Pete whispered as he looked at her.

"Nor me." She smiled and looked into his eyes. "I don't ever want us to waste another moment."

"I don't either." He shook his head. "The last three years are enough to last us a lifetime."

"They really are," she whispered and kissed him again, ready to start the rest of their lives together.

* * *

><p>AN: There you go, the final chapter. We said it would only be a short story this time but it was so much fun to write. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviwed. Want to leave us your final thoughts on the story?


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